Fixing rclone Mount Issues on Debian: via Installing fusermount3

So, I finally figured out how to mount Google Drive in Debian, and the missing piece was fusermount3 not being installed. Here’s how you can do it properly.

Step 1: Install fuse3 (Provides fusermount3)

Run the following command to install the required package:

sudo apt update
sudo apt install fuse3

After installation, verify that fusermount3 is available in your $PATH:

which fusermount3

Step 2: Add Your User to the fuse Group (If Not Root)

If you’re not using the root account, you need to add yourself to the fuse group: (💡 If you’re root, you can skip this step.)

sudo usermod -aG fuse $(whoami)

Step 3: Mount Google Drive Using rclone

Run the following command:

rclone mount gdrive: /path/to/mount/point --allow-non-empty --vfs-cache-mode writes

Replace /path/to/mount/point with the directory where you want to mount your Google Drive. This will keep the mount active as long as the terminal session is running.

Step 4: Verify If the Mount Worked

df -h

Step 5: Background the Process to Keep It Running

Since closing the terminal unmounts the drive, you can move the process to the background:

1️⃣ Pause the rclone mount process Press:

ctrl + z

2️⃣ Send it to the background

bg

Now, it will continue running in the background!

To Unmount Manually:

If you need to unmount the drive later, use:

fusermount -u /path/to/mount/point   # On Linux  

more methods are below to make mount persistent

Let’s Keep the Mount Persistent

Option 1: Run in the Background using &

This allows the process to continue running even after closing the terminal:

rclone mount gdrive: /path/to/mount/point --allow-non-empty --vfs-cache-mode writes &

• The & at the end runs the process in the background.
• However, if you log out or restart, it will still stop.

Option 2: Use nohup to Prevent Termination

nohup rclone mount gdrive: /path/to/mount/point --allow-non-empty --vfs-cache-mode writes >/dev/null 2>&1 &

• nohup makes sure the process isn’t terminated even if the terminal is closed.

Option 3: Use tmux or screen (Recommended)

• Start a tmux or screen session and run the command inside it.
• This keeps the process alive even after logging out.

Using tmux:

tmux new -s rclone
rclone mount gdrive: /path/to/mount/point --allow-non-empty --vfs-cache-mode writes

• Press Ctrl + B, then D to detach the session.
• To reattach:

  tmux attach -t rclone

Using screen:

screen -S rclone
rclone mount gdrive: /path/to/mount/point --allow-non-empty --vfs-cache-mode writes

• Press Ctrl + A, then D to detach.
• To reattach:

  screen -r rclone

Important Notes

• Mounting is temporary → If you reboot, the mount disappears unless you automate it (e.g., using a systemd service or nohup).
• --allow-non-empty can be risky → If the mount fails, files in the mount point might be mistakenly seen as missing.

That’s it!